Panruti: The jackfruit paradise

Panruti is home to the largest area under the fruit in the State; It is also supposedly the only place in India where jackfruit is grown as a monocrop

The smell of jackfruit wafts in the air as one drives through Panruti in Cuddalore district of north Tamil Nadu. The fruit takes the pride of place at every market and roadside stall in Panruti, with its heady aroma wafting from every home.

Panruti is home to the largest area under jackfruit cultivation in the State; the fruit is grown on over 800 hectares in the district. It is also supposedly the only place in India where jackfruit is grown as a monocrop (a single crop throughout the year). Each tree yields around 150-250 fruits per season. Panruti has an annual production capacity of 45,000 metric tonnes to 50,000 metric tonnes.

The State fruit of Tamil Nadu has an age-old connection with Panruti. According to a report in the Gazetteer of South Arcot published in 1906, the high red land of Panruti taluk traded in the cashew and jackfruit enormously and improved the region’s economic value.

“The carpals of the jackfruit are thick, long and extra sweet. The Panruti jackfruits have cream-coloured bulbous pulps, with thick flesh and fibrous interior. The pulp remains fresh and maintains a consistency in its texture for long, compared with the fruits from other areas where the flesh remains thin and starts deteriorating,” says P. Sanjai Gandhi, Government Advocate (Madras High Court), who has filed an application, on behalf of the Maligampattu Farmer Producer Association, for the Geographic Indication (GI) tag for the Panruti variety of jackfruit.

The Panruti jackfruits are also known for their huge size, with each fruit weighing 7 kg to 40 kg. The Palur jack (PLR- 1), a high-yielding variety, was developed at Panikkankuppam near Panruti by the Vegetable Research Station of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in 1992.

The variety is of medium height and suitable for high-density planting. The advantage is it produces fruits not only during the bearing season (March-June) but also during the off-season (October-December). It yields 80 fruits per tree, weighing an average of 12 kg, Mr. Gandhi adds.

According to an official of the Horticulture Department, “The Panruti variety has a sweet and distinct taste, thanks to the agro-climatic conditions here. The crop is rain-fed and the soil in and around Panruti is ideally suited for jackfruit cultivation. Over 95% of the harvested fruit is for consumption and there is no wastage.”